Better Luck Next Time
by The Decemberist
Summary: Death after life for Ichigo Kurosaki. (ichiruki drabble-ish oneshot)


I have a confession to make.  
This was inspired by a country song.  
More specifically, a Jake Owen song.  
American Country Love Song.  
It's just as terrible and cheesy as it sounds but it's an ode to innocence and I couldn't help but be weirdly inspired because the ichiruki relationship was always so _pure_ to me. Like I never had any burning desire for them to show any serious physical affection to each other because their relationship seemed so much deeper than that, the looks said so much more.  
Thanks again for shitting all over that Kubo.

* * *

 **Better Luck Next Time**

Though it's been awhile since he's ventured over, Ichigo has always found that afterlife suits him.

Dying and leaving his body wasn't nearly that bad when it actually happened _naturally_ and wasn't a small raven haired girl yanking his soul from his body with a small gloved hand and jumping on his back firing off instructions like a drill sergeant-

Life in Seireitei is calm and easy. Kyoraku lets him exist in the Gotei like a permanent contractor with no real boss or partners. He finds himself breezing through divisions like a seasoned warrior should, instructing here and helping there, always making a point to stop and chat and be friendly now that he's older and somehow calmer and wiser. He needs something to occupy himself while his wife and son are still in the world of the living and oh he'll send messages in the butterflies telling them, "Don't worry about me I'm just fine over here," as he whips another year of recruits into shape without even releasing his shikai.

He tries not to spend too much time with her at first. Doesn't want people to talk, start any dumb rumors that might cause trouble for her in her division or clan but then he realizes a long time has passed since he was relevant here and Rukia is now just as respected as her previous captain was. When he first goes to visit her she's hard at work demonstrating a particularly high level kido spell he could never even hope to attempt much less master and when she sees him she stops dead in her tracks and says with a wry grin,

"Well thank god you finally grew out your hair again, even if it's looking a bit dull."

He self consciously runs his hand through it, remembering that he hasn't seen her in a whole bunch of human years and when he died he wasn't exactly old but his body was beginning to hurt in ways it hadn't before and his hair was dulled from bright orange to rusted copper. He may look different but she's just as lovely as ever. She tells the group of new members that the lesson will resume tomorrow, she's going to take the afternoon off.

It starts simply enough. The nightly walks through her grounds, sparring during her lunch break, living in her guest room because she 'can't just let him mooch off Ikkaku forever.' Sometimes Renji joins them but more often than not he always seems to be busy whenever Rukia asks him. (He later finds out she would plan that on purpose.)

He tells himself not to feel at fault every time she playfully punches him or he teases her about her height or he accidentally brushes her shoulder when they're walking because it shouldn't mean anything but it's _Rukia_ and he can't stop his heart from skipping a beat when their skin touches or aching when she smiles and he realizes he could watch her smile forever. The little things means everything and he can't help the guilt every time he sends another butterfly to his living family.

Time rolls on and Rukia eventually drops any pretense of formality or proprietary when finding a reason to spend time with him and makes it clear to anyone paying attention they spend so much together because _they want to_. She comes in his room whenever she pleases, making herself comfortable on his bed while he meditates ( _just like old times_ ) and asks him to accompany her missions that she could easily complete herself.

He wonders how long they can carry on unimpeded until she breaks the spell one afternoon during lunch,

"Renji asked me about you last night. He asked and I lied and that's the end of that," She says wistfully, sounding more tired than she did a minute ago. He wonders what she means by lied because nothing inappropriate has ever transpired between them but remembers his own guilt and knows that being unfaithful isn't always physically cheating.

"After all these years I never thought he would actually…you know..with..you..and me.."

She stammers and stumbles over her words and he catches a glimpse of the girl he met in his bedroom decades ago. A girl he would've moved worlds for if she asked, the woman he gave his heart to and never asked for it back even though he said those eternal vows with a different girl, because those vows were just empty and meaningless.

"This just wasn't our lifetime," She settles on with a small smile, not meeting his gaze. "Maybe next time though, we'll do better?"

He hesitates before gently lifting her head to meet her eyes,

"Yeah...next time we'll do better."

(It's weird that the affirmation of feelings is their end, their closure, the final nail in a coffin that never had a chance of opening anyway.)

The next day he watches her try and teach that same kido spell she was teaching when he first arrived and he wonders if this was what his life would have been if he had just gathered the courage to stay with her all those years ago. He could've been her student all over again and maybe helped her with the squad and quarrelled with her brother and had violet eyed orange haired kids and aged together and etched their story as one of the Soul Society's greats.

She moves her hands gracefully and chants the incantation so smoothly it could be a song and he closes his eyes, her voice lulling him into a brief moment of peace until the blast of the completed spell knocks him right back to reality.

He smiles.

* * *

Didn't really include the kids because I personally am not a fan and this is my fic and I'll write what I want to.  
I have no idea if I'm going to write anything else Bleach after this or even keep up on ff. I'm halfway through prep for a figure competition (google it) so most of my time is spent being hungry or training or training and being hungry. Not very conducive to extra productivity.


End file.
